food, history, rural life, and how we connect our cultural past and future

Bookstore & Gift Shop

Gift Items

These unique vintage images come from my personal collection 50 years in the gathering.

The 1910 Germain Seed case that hangs in my living room is the source of the brilliant vegetable and flower packets. The large folding hardware store rack they live in was saved from sure destruction in the middle of one of the worst rains in the history of Los Angeles when I was asked to help with an emergency clear-out of a wet and soggy garage.

Created in the early 1840s illustrations such as El Primero reflect the caricaturist’s use of fantasy that was popular in the satirical Parisian newspapers of the day. The Spanish titles were added later. I came upon the collection on one of those great yard sale days; the kind of days you never forget.

These fun collections are now available from Fox Mountain Design on a variety of gift items and accessories.

Books

Welcome to the first print collection of historic recipes from the kitchens of Mary Randolph, author of The Virginia House-Wife with commentary on my experience cooking these recipes through the gardening season.

Maybe you just graduated from high-school and are planning on going out on your own, or are in college or are running in the rat race of your first job; whatever it might be; you don’t have much money and you are gonna be living with housemates. However you find your roomies (best friends, housing resources at the college, or meeting folks at work or play) I recommend that the group of you (be it two, three, four, or more) sit down together and seriously consider the following practical living observations.

Known as “Queen Molly” the woman who set the finest table in early 19th century Richmond, Mary Randolph and the unnamed enslaved cooks in her kitchens produced food that set the standard for excellence in Southern cookery.

Explore along with me as I cook my way through the wonderful recipes in her classic book The Virginia House-Wife, first published in 1824.